Moral Support
by watermelloncat
Summary: Short fanfiction in the Glade before Thomas arrived. Where reader is a runner and comes back to find a sick Newt in the Map room. Implied romance and no gender assumptions, making fit for all readers. Thank you for choosing this story. Please leave comments and suggestions if you wish


By the time you entered the Map room you felt as though your legs were about to collapse from under you. Shakily you pushed open the door and stepped into the room to find most of the Runners finishing up for the day. Which was fine, some days took longer than others depending on the section you took.

After shutting the door behind you, you made your way over to the back of the room where you took off your pack and hung it back up on the wall. Sitting down on one of the boxes in the corner you began to take off your shoes as you hear quiet coughing from the other side of the room.

Looking up you see Newt trying to suppress his coughing into his hand. Call yourself a bad friend or whatever, but you didn't think much of it. People got sick all the time. Yeah, he looked a bit pale and tired but there isn't really anything that you can do about that.

After putting on your usual shoes, you get some paper from one of the boxes and try to find a pen. After roaming around the room moving various papers and models you still can't find one.

"Anyone have a pen that they're not using?" you give up trying to search on your own. They all shake their head and continue their work. "Why don't you write it on the list for the Box?" one of them replies. "Yeah, great idea" you smile as they look up at you, "but I don't have a pen!" you complain with a wide smile on your face, bouncing with your knees and clenching your fists in mock-frustration.

In truth you weren't really bothered that you had to wait for a pen to become available, you had a pretty good memory. It wasn't like you'd suddenly start forgetting the patterns of the section you ran that day.

So, you sat on a box silently in the corner of the room leaning against the walls waiting. And considering that most of the Runners were just about finished drawing their map anyway, you didn't have to wait very long.

Sitting down at one of the middle tables in the room with your pen, you started to draw out the wall formations. It amazed you how your brain could recall every position of every wall and your hand worked like a human-printer on the page.

While you were working, the other runners finished their map and left the room. Aside from Newt who you could hear sniffling every now and then. Occasionally you glanced up to see him propped up on his elbow with his head in his hand, working slowly. It was obvious to you now that he was sicker than you'd originally thought, but he was trying so hard to be discreet that you decided to leave it alone.

As you were putting the final touches on your map you hear Newt's breath hitching. _"Heh…heh-mm_ _ **ph**_ _...snff...hih-_ _ **nngxt…**_ _heh...hih-nn_ _ **ch"**_ _you_ glance over at him seeing his back expand and contract as he supresses his sneezes quietly, "ha **-tchhh...tshh...** eh **-tshhm**."He sniffs and drops his head into his hands, his elbows resting on the table.

 _"Newt?" you ask quietly in sympathy, still looking back at him. "I'm sorry" he softly apologises unnecessarily, thinking he's distracted you from your work. You don't fail to notice how congested he sounds as he sniffles thickly into the back of his hand before coughing once._

"Not what I meant" you say to yourself shaking your head. "How are you feeling?" you ask again, turning yourself around in your chair to get a better look at him. "Bloody terrible" he confesses still looking away from you before coughing chestily into the back of his hand. You notice how his coughs have gotten louder as all his pretendences are up. "Why don't you call it in for the day and go to the Medjacks?" you suggest hoping that he will. "Can't. Have to finish this" he explains as he readjusts his position in his seat before getting back to work.

Sighing in defeat you gather your equipment and go over to sit in the chair next to him for moral support. You know that he's right, although you wish he wasn't. No one but him could finish the map for his section because he was the only one who knew it. And the Runners had the responsibility to complete every map, every day.

Without saying a word, you both worked on finishing your respective maps. You finished before Newt, but you stayed waiting for him to finish, not taking your eyes off him. As he scribbled down the date and section details, you rose from your chair. Gathering both your works, you put the finished pieces in the completed crate.

After closing the lid, you set about the place helping Newt tidy up the room, being customary for the last runners of the day to do so before locking up. _"_ _Heh-mmf.._ _ **.nngxxt!**_ _snff" the effort it takes him to supress his sneezes just about bends him double. He breaths heavily as he waits for the next round to come, hands hovering in front of his face._ _"_ Ha- **tchh...tchh** _..._ _heh_ _-_ **tchh…** **HISSHHAH** "he sneezes desperately, cupping his hands over his mouth. Your heart twinges in sympathy as he coughs congestedly afterward.

Clearing his throat as he turns back around to face you. You can see how miserable he looks as his eyes look at the floor and his posture is slumped over. Pursing your lips, you walk over to him opening your arms out to give him a hug. Instinctively he walks into your arms, his body deflating into yours. He sniffles next to your ear and you hear his congested breaths. You can tell by the proximity for your skin that he has a fever. You run your hand up and down his back trying to provide him with some comfort. Pulling away from the hug you sigh before instructing him, "go see the Medjacks. I'll finish up here."


End file.
